EDUCATION & SCHOOLS
watch and learn New high school provides work-study experience B Y B RA N DE E G RU ENE R | P HOTO GR AP HY BY JO HN MICHAEL SIMPSON
wo freshmen huddle over their laptops at Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School, waiting for assignments from their employers at Cisco. Both John Cortes, of Durham, and Logan Talbot, of Raleigh, say they have an interest in programming and networking. The opportunity to participate in a work-study program and gain real experience was a major draw to enrolling at the new Catholic high school. “You get one day out of the week to Mike Fedewa. experience what it’s like to go in the workplace,” John says. “So far, it’s been great.” Cristo Rey is part of a nationwide network of 38 Catholic high schools dedicated to providing work-study experience and a college preparatory curriculum for students from low-income families. It’s Durham’s only Catholic high school and just opened its doors in August to 82 freshmen, almost all students of color and all from families who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school’s unique tuition model asks families to contribute $70 a month, with the rest covered by fundraising and by wages that students earn from companies like Cree Wolfspeed, NC Subway Group, the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, ZenBio and N.C. State’s College of Engineering. Unlike many private schools, grades are not necessarily a limiting factor for admission to Cristo Rey (applicants also do not have to 82
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october/november 2021
be Catholic). Motivation and maturity are strong considerations in acceptance. Students must be ready to wear a uniform and tie, have a longer school day and start the year early. In July, students participated in a “draft day” with area companies and attended a two-week program learning the soft skills needed to be successful in business. “You’ve got to really want to do this, because it’s not for everybody,” says Mike Fedewa, the school’s president. “I have been so delightfully impressed with the caliber of young men and women that we have seen come through our doors.” Mike was superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Raleigh and close to retirement when a couple familiar with the Cristo Rey Network in the Northeast pitched the idea of opening a school in the Triangle. He was sold on joining the school, like most of the families and students he’s talked to. “The enthusiasm of the students is catching,” Mike says. The majority of Cristo Rey’s students are from Durham, but others come from Raleigh, Chapel Hill and even Burlington. School leaders did not want families to be limited by the ability to reach campus, so students are provided with bus transportation if they need it.